3. Keep it concise – and consistent

Does your organisation ask multiple people across multiple departments to write different sections of your annual report?

If so, smart move. After all, who better to write about your financial achievements than your CFO? And who better to write about staff and professional development results than your HR Manager?

However, this approach also come with its pitfalls. Namely, repetition and overlap – as well as an inconsistent writing style throughout.

The result? A jumbled, boring and dry document that will do your brand more harm than good.

That’s why it’s critical to have a single person or department – such as Marketing & Communications – oversee and review every word of your annual report.

And if you don’t have anyone internally with the time and skills do it? A professional editor who understands your organisation is the way to go.

4. Spice up your statistics

When it comes to creating an engaging report, infographics are your best friend. Why? Because visually representing your data helps:

Cut down your words and waffle

Time-poor readers scan and understand key messages

Present your achievements more clearly and meaningfully

Inject more personality and a modern feel into your report

To get you started, here are 8 different types of infographs to consider:

1. Statistical: use to present survey results, data from multiple sources or to support an argument with relevant statistics.

2. Informational: use to communicate a new or specialised concept, or to give an overview of a topic.

3. Timeline: use to communicate the history of something, highlight important dates or give an overview of events.

4. Process: use to provide a summary or overview of the steps in a process.

5. Geographic: use to present location-based or demographic data, or compare data by region or demographic.

6. Comparison: use to compare options in an unbiased way or to make one option seem better.

7. Hierarchical: use to present information in a particular order (e.g. a pyramid).

8. List: use to share a set of tips, resources or examples (these use icons, creative fonts and colors to make basic bulleted lists more eye-catching).

5. Engage all your audiences

Your annual report will be read by a range of audiences – including staff, shareholders, partners and end customers. That’s why it’s important to acknowledge their different needs and priorities throughout.

So before you start writing, consider which sections will be most relevant to each audience. Then tailor your messages accordingly.

For example:

Clarify your goals, vision, values and high-level priorities in your opening addresses to get your management team and strategic partners excited about the future.

Highlight the importance of your people when summarising employee programs, promotions, events – and the appreciation and benefits that drive them.

Emphasise customer value by following the ‘WIIFM’ (What’s In It For Me?’) principle for sections your end customers will be most interested in. Once you draw out the value, you can integrate it throughout your content.

6. Go beyond paper and PDFs

Thanks to today’s technology, you have newer, more interesting ways to present your annual report – and create a lasting impression.